Great Bunbury, a Shropshire light railway terminus

[2996 Victor]

In following Rob @NHY 581 's workbench thread, the Hornby Butterley Extension building has been mentioned.....it looks like a splendid alternative to the PECO wooden building kit that I crushed a while back on p.1.

Also, mention has been made of PECO's OO bullhead medium radius points and the fact that they can be problematic. British Finescale point kits were suggested as an alternative, and having looked at them I'm now wavering back toward EM #confused - I suppose it'd be a good way to learn point building.....

Cheers,
Mark

 

[2996 Victor]

Being now in the final throes of a house move and now not having space to call my own, at least not completely my own, I'm drawn ever more toward the layout-in-a-box idea.

Given that my G&H baseboard won't fit in the RU boxes, wrapping paper or Christmas tree, Great Bunbury is likely to see a re-modelling to take up less space. The trick, of course, will be to try and maintain the illusion of space.....

I'll probably have a go at building my own baseboards to fit the RU Christmas tree box. I know SMS do their kits, but a sheet of ply, some batten and a few screws will be the same cost and give me three baseboards. Plus, my OCD won't come to terms with the odd SMS sizes, so I'll be building to 44" x 8". B&Q, here I come!

I fear there may be a string of these layouts.....

Cheers,
Mark

 

[Herb Garden]

The trick, of course, will be to try and maintain the illusion of space.....

Tis the final frontier....

There are however ticks that you could experiment with. A read of Iain rice's cameo layout book will definitely help.

One of the things I'm doing on Skeetsmere is to restrict the view with the openings giving the impression that there more round the corner job just out of sight.

This works cos the layout is up at eye height and due to the restricted views you can't look in any direction but into the scene. As soon as you look along or down on a model the illusion is lost.

Another thing to consider is only modelling part of a layout. There have been some really excellent layouts that only model one end of a station or have the end of the run round in the fiddle yard. Be radical you don't have to incorporate everything in your project.

Experiment with track. Model suppliers would have us believe that turnouts ate fixed isolated items that are placed in series. In reality pointwork is much more blended together. A bit of research will throw up a series of tricks that you can apply to your project to get more bang for your buck.

And remember a layout design is not just the track plan design the track and the 3d look of the thing as a one. Using a mock up will help you understand if your design will achieve what you want it to before you start cutting timber

Soz for the essay but hopefully that is of use

 

[Osgood]

I once saw a small cameo style layout at a bunfight exhibition with what I'd have to describe as heavily restricted viewing windows.
Got so annoying trying to get a glimpse of what was in the box what with all the other folk trying to do the same.
I concluded a neat idea, but can be overcooked if viewing angles are too restrictive.
Just sayin'.

Taxi!

 

[Herb Garden]

I once saw a small cameo style layout at a bunfight exhibition with what I'd have to describe as heavily restricted viewing windows.
Got so annoying trying to get a glimpse of what was in the box what with all the other folk trying to do the same.
I concluded a neat idea, but can be overcooked if viewing angles are too restrictive.
Just sayin'.

Taxi!

Completely agree.... Everything in moderation right? With all these things Ballance is key

 

[2996 Victor]

Tis the final frontier....

There are however ticks that you could experiment with. A read of Iain rice's cameo layout book will definitely help.

One of the things I'm doing on Skeetsmere is to restrict the view with the openings giving the impression that there more round the corner job just out of sight.

This works cos the layout is up at eye height and due to the restricted views you can't look in any direction but into the scene. As soon as you look along or down on a model the illusion is lost.

Another thing to consider is only modelling part of a layout. There have been some really excellent layouts that only model one end of a station or have the end of the run round in the fiddle yard. Be radical you don't have to incorporate everything in your project.

Experiment with track. Model suppliers would have us believe that turnouts ate fixed isolated items that are placed in series. In reality pointwork is much more blended together. A bit of research will throw up a series of tricks that you can apply to your project to get more bang for your buck.

And remember a layout design is not just the track plan design the track and the 3d look of the thing as a one. Using a mock up will help you understand if your design will achieve what you want it to before you start cutting timber

Soz for the essay but hopefully that is of use

Hi George,

many thanks for your post and "no worries" - all advice is welcomed with open arms!

I've been a fan of Iain Rice's writing for longer than I care to remember, and I think I've absorbed a lot of his ideas. The cameo approach definitely, and of course the stage setting approach with theatrical wings and proscenium arch.

I've recently been re-reading the Wild Swan history of the Criggion Branch of the Shropshire & Montgomeryshire, and this is having a major influence on GtBnby. I'm veering from "half a loop" to "almost no loop": Criggion station's loop was located upstream of the platform and on the same side of the running line, giving a long but very narrow footprint. Passenger trains arriving from Kinnerley decanted their occupants, reversed up the line, the loco to ran around and then backed the train back to the platform for anyone going to Kinnerley.

As regards track, I'm more than happy to chop things about to get what I want. The ideal would be to build my own, but that's not in my skillset yet and I haven't the time at the moment to practice it The British Finescale point "kits" seem like a good stepping stone, though. I've oft wondered whether it would be possible to splice two rtr points together to make a sort of Barry Slip!

Mock-ups are where I fall down, really - I can visualise a plan quite well but translating it into a 3D "sketch" is something I need to work on. I'll be going for an eye-level-ish sort of viewing level, so suitable viewblockers can be buildings, trees, landscaping, without resorting to the good old surprise tunnel. That should help with the illusion of spaciousness. I'm not sure I'm ready for forced perspective yet. Somewhere I have a roll of lining paper that I can doodle on.....

Cheers,
Mark

 

[Herb Garden]

Mock-ups are where I fall down, really - I can visualise a plan quite well but translating it into a 3D "sketch" is something I need to work on.

Yeah I now the feeling.... I struggle with 3d sketches....

This is what I did on Skeetsmere:


Cereal packets and balsa wood bits .... You cant beat it.....

 

[2996 Victor]

Yeah I now the feeling.... I struggle with 3d sketches....

This is what I did on Skeetsmere:

View attachment 221080
Cereal packets and balsa wood bits .... You cant beat it.....

View attachment 221081View attachment 221082

That's exactly what I need to do! I do like the viewing windows separating the scenes, too.

I have an idea for GtBnby to be extended to a "lower yard", "wharf", or some such, as a separate layout but that can also be joined end on. The idea of two scenes, joined and yet individual, would really work with that.

Cheers,
Mark

 

[2996 Victor]

A little trip this morning to a well-known diy store (the one with the orange logo) revealed planed square timber that must have come from banana trees. "Not for me!" I thought.

So while I ponder my options, I've got time to build a half-size mock up as recommended by George. Should be a bit of fun!

Cheers,
Mark

 

[Tim Birch]

A little trip this morning to a well-known diy store (the one with the orange logo) revealed planed square timber that must have come from banana trees. "Not for me!" I thought.

So while I ponder my options, I've got time to build a half-size mock up as recommended by George. Should be a bit of fun!

Cheers,
Mark

Mark,
Have you any local joinery manufacturers? It is worth a look to see if you can find one for the supply of true timber in all kinds of sizes for prices comparable with the DIY sheds.

 

[2996 Victor]

Mark,
Have you any local joinery manufacturers? It is worth a look to see if you can find one for the supply of true timber in all kinds of sizes for prices comparable with the DIY sheds.

Thanks, Tim, that's definitely something I should look into - I'm sure there must be a decent joinery nearby! The quality of timber available from diy placed seems very poor.

Cheers,
Mark

 

[Simon H]

Being now in the final throes of a house move and now not having space to call my own, at least not completely my own, I'm drawn ever more toward the layout-in-a-box idea.

Given that my G&H baseboard won't fit in the RU boxes, wrapping paper or Christmas tree, Great Bunbury is likely to see a re-modelling to take up less space. The trick, of course, will be to try and maintain the illusion of space.....

I'll probably have a go at building my own baseboards to fit the RU Christmas tree box. I know SMS do their kits, but a sheet of ply, some batten and a few screws will be the same cost and give me three baseboards. Plus, my OCD won't come to terms with the odd SMS sizes, so I'll be building to 44" x 8". B&Q, here I come!

I fear there may be a string of these layouts.....

Cheers,
Mark

I've found that the layout in a box (or boxes) thing can work very well. I had bought (and built) some of the SMS boards that fit in 22litre "wrapping paper" RUBs, more out of curiosity than anything else. I'd also bought some Peco Setrack to run my small collection of Tri-ang on.

Adding the two together with some other ingredients has resulted in Schinkendorf, a small (roughly 5ft x 8in plus 2ft fiddlestick) "loop and two sidings" German H0 layout which fits in two 22l RUBs, and took under 6 months from having the idea to its first exhibition. More info here: Schinkendorf. A small German H0 Layout

Its primary use has been at home, where it currently sits on two IKEA office cabinets in the dining room, but a large part of the reason for building it the way I have is that we, too, have a house move happening, with the usual delays and frustrations, so it's nice to have a small, simple layout to do the odd bit of modelling on but most often just play trains. It'll be one of the last things I pack, and will going with me in the car for the drive to the new place. I'll aim to have it up and running again as soon as possible.

I've also accidentally built a home made baseboard to fit in a 22l RUB...
A few years ago, I found a very nice piece of high quality ply, already cut to a "go on, build a layout on me!" size, lurking in the back of a wardrobe so I made a 2"x1" frame for it, with a vague intention to use it for a test track. When I first bought the 22l RUBs to put the SMS boards in, I noticed that the home made effort looked like it would fit in one...and indeed it does. I'm part way through an 0-16.5 micro on that board...so yes, these things can multiply!

All the best with layout(s) and move,
Simon.

 

[2996 Victor]

I've found that the layout in a box (or boxes) thing can work very well. I had bought (and built) some of the SMS boards that fit in 22litre "wrapping paper" RUBs, more out of curiosity than anything else. I'd also bought some Peco Setrack to run my small collection of Tri-ang on.

Adding the two together with some other ingredients has resulted in Schinkendorf, a small (roughly 5ft x 8in plus 2ft fiddlestick) "loop and two sidings" German H0 layout which fits in two 22l RUBs, and took under 6 months from having the idea to its first exhibition. More info here: Schinkendorf. A small German H0 Layout

Its primary use has been at home, where it currently sits on two IKEA office cabinets in the dining room, but a large part of the reason for building it the way I have is that we, too, have a house move happening, with the usual delays and frustrations, so it's nice to have a small, simple layout to do the odd bit of modelling on but most often just play trains. It'll be one of the last things I pack, and will going with me in the car for the drive to the new place. I'll aim to have it up and running again as soon as possible.

I've also accidentally built a home made baseboard to fit in a 22l RUB...
A few years ago, I found a very nice piece of high quality ply, already cut to a "go on, build a layout on me!" size, lurking in the back of a wardrobe so I made a 2"x1" frame for it, with a vague intention to use it for a test track. When I first bought the 22l RUBs to put the SMS boards in, I noticed that the home made effort looked like it would fit in one...and indeed it does. I'm part way through an 0-16.5 micro on that board...so yes, these things can multiply!

All the best with layout(s) and move,
Simon.

Hi Simon,
Many thanks for your post and words of encouragement - one of the chief attractions of a "layout in a box" is the advantage of keeping it clean and out of the way when not in use, and indeed in lulls in the actual build process.
I think the option of adding modules has a great attraction, too, I've found that I've tended to think, "what will fit in one box of that size?" rather than using each as a module making up a larger whole. Which is absolutely daft, really, given so many conventional layouts are built that way! I need to think outside the box (to coin a phrase ) more!
Thank you for your link to Schinkendorf: I'll have a good look at that now! Good luck also with the 0-16.5 micro - is there a build thread for it?
Hope your house move goes smoothly when the time comes - I knew it would be stressful but I wasn't really prepared for how much! But that's due at least in part to a lot of unrelated factors that have just happened to coincide.
All the very best,
Mark